Know how a new coach wins over a skeptical fan base? He does this — flip an A-list recruit his way.
That's what new UCLA coach Jim Mora did with Ishmael Adams (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian). The four-star, 5-foot-10, 180-pound cornerback picked the Bruins over longtime leader California, as well as Arizona State and Notre Dame.
Adams told ESPN Recruiting's Greg Biggins, "After the coaching change, I didn’t think much about UCLA, but I really like Coach Mora a lot and I like Demetrice Martin a lot as well. He’s a good coach, and I know he’ll make me better.”
Before Christmas, the Bruins also signed JC offensive lineman Alexandru Ceachir (Santa Monica JC, Calif.). He had been committed to Utah. Ceachir seemed taken by new Bruins line coach Adrian Klemm.
In fact, if you read through Biggins' West Coast recruiting blog, it seems Mora's hires are making progress with a number of recruits, including ones committed elsewhere.
If Mora's first class includes a number of recruiting coups, that should alleviate some of the concerns Bruins fans had about hiring a coach with an almost exclusively NFL background.
The Bruins have 22 commitments, and Adams is the second with a four-star rating.